How to Make Caramel Apples (Yummy)

Caramel apples are one of those things that are as much fun to make as they are to eat.  Little tip: Let each kid dip his / her own apple and then decorate it - they'll love it.....

Here's what you'll need:

1lb box dark brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon robust-flavored (dark) molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 sturdy lollipop sticks or chopsticks
12 medium apples

Assorted decorations (such as chopped nuts, chopped raisins, mini M&M's and candy sprinkles)

Equipment needed - a thermometer.

Ok, so here's how to do it....

1. Combine sugar, butter, condensed milk, corn syrup, maple syrup, vanilla, molasses and salt in a thick-bottomed 2 1/2 or 3 quart saucepan.
2. Stir with a wooden spoon on medium-low heat until all the sugar dissolves. There should be no grittiness (sugar crystals) when you test by rubbing a little of the caramel between your fingers.
3. Brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve any sugar crystals that might form on the pan sides.
4. Attach a clip-on thermometer to the pan and cook caramel at a rolling boil until the thermometer reaches 113°C, stirring constantly and slowly with a wooden spatula.
5. Continue to occasionally brush the sides down with a pastry brush.
6. Carefully pour caramel into a metal bowl.
7. Cool until the temperature lowers to 96°C, at which point you are ready to dip the apples.
8. While the caramel is cooking/cooling, prepare a large baking sheet, covering it with buttered tinfoil.

9. Insert a chopstick or sturdy lollipop stick into each apple, about 2-inches, top down, into the apple core.
10. When the caramel has cooled enough for dipping, dip the apples in, one by one, by holding on to the stick, and vertically lowering the apple into the caramel, submerging all but the very top of the apple.
11. Pull the apple up from the caramel and let the excess caramel drip off from the bottom back into the pan.

12. Then place on the prepared foil. The caramel will pool a little at the bottom of each apple. Place into the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes.
13. Once the caramel has chilled a bit, remove from the refrigerator and use your fingers to press the caramel that has dripped to the bottom of the apples, back on to the apples.
14. Then take whatever coatings you want and press them into the apples for decoration.

15. Return to the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.

Halloween Party Planning Ideas

Are you trying to organise the best Halloween party that will be talked about for weeks after your special event? Don't fret... Here you'll find fresh tips and ideas from party planning to Halloween themes that will guarantee your guests have fun.

Depending on how much money you want to spend on supplies and how much effort you're willing to put into it, the more of these ideas used - the scarier your party will be.

Mix and match tips to fit your preference and check your haunted house or party setting over for any hazards your guests may run into. For a safe Halloween party, plan ahead and remove any possible dangers.

Party Tips

Halloween parties make a great alternative to trick-or treating. For an incredible, well-put together party, it's best to make arrangements well in advance. Here's some party planning tips for a terrifying good time.
  

• Have Adult Supervision: 

For minors, adult supervision is necessary for safety reasons as well as preventing any property damage. Adults can help with the party and enforce rules, while the guests have fun.

• Have a Camera Handy: 

Take pictures and arrange them in a photo album to show your guests after the party. Better yet, Buy a huge photo album and add pictures every year, after your annual Halloween Party. It's hilarious to watch how the costumes evolve over the years.

Another idea is to have someone take Polaroid pictures of each guest as they arrive. Give everyone their pic as they leave your party in remembrance of the occasion.

• Have a Backup Plan:

 If you're planning your party outdoors, be prepared for inclement weather. Have other arrangements ready at a moments notice.

 

• Get Help in Decorating: 

Allow some guests to arrive early and help with the Halloween decorations. This will ease your workload and add some creative minds.

• Supply Food and Sweets:

And plenty of it. What's a party without goodies? Try dressing up your food to look like gross things such as eyeballs, body parts, etc. Make the punch look like blood.

• Hand out Party Favors: 

Don't let the kids leave empty handed. Hand out gifts to game contest winners and make up some party favor bags with Halloween sweets.

Halloween Party Themes

Pick a party theme and decorate accordingly. For example, a haunted house or graveyard theme would encourage specific costume types such as ghosts, vampires and zombies. Decorate with spider webs, tombstones and fake body parts. Send out theme appropriate invitations.

Try a history or time-era theme, from the Victorian era to the 1970s and 80s and have everyone dress appropriately. Decorate in accordance to the time era and serve old-fashioned, homemade snacks.

 

Adult Party Themes

For Adults, try a couples theme and have everyone come in pairs. Choose real couples or character couples. For instance, Romeo and Juliet or Tom & Jerry. To expand on this idea, group themes for a larger party are oodles of fun. Imagine answering the door to The Three Musketeers, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, or Dumb and Dumber. See the potential? It makes for great memories and pictures!

A gender switch theme is one sure way to keep everyone guessing. It's definitely trickier to guess who is who if you have the women dress like a man and visa-versa. If there are couples doing this, make sure they stay away from their significant other, that is until everyone's figured out just who they are.

On the spookier side, what's more frightful than a haunted house? Mix and match the monsters and you'll have a houseful of scary fun -- just call it the Monster Mash. For braver folk, a "Blood and Gore" party theme will give Dracula and Frankenstein a chance to shine. Have your camera ready to catch the guests as they arrive.

Children's Halloween Party Themes

Costumes and decorations for children are a tad bit easier as local merchants tend to cater to the younger crowd. After all, aren't they the ones who are supposed to have fun? Kids love watching cartoons and they're often passionate about their favorite cartoon characters. One idea is to let them dress up as their favorite character, another is to pick one show and have them all choose a character from that show. Since you'll probably have more than one of the same character at your party, you can award prizes for the best costume. For example, the best "SpongeBob SquarePants," etc.

A little more Halloweenish is to opt for a monster theme featuring less scary monsters like ghosts or goblins. Having the children stick to traditional spooks adds to the spirit of Halloween.